Time Magazine – In the ‘Great Reshuffling,’ People Are Flocking to Montana’s Biggest City. Its Mayor Has a Good Idea Why

The July 21 front page of the Billings Gazette included the following stories: a local man used a bow and arrow to catch a world-record paddlefish (92 lb.), searchers reported a possible sighting (which proved false) of a missing hiker, and Montana coal production dropped sharply last year. But the lead story was on the housing boom sweeping the nation and its impact on Montana’s biggest city. “Billings real estate market ranks hottest in the country,” the newspaper declared, citing a Wall Street Journal index, which ranked Billings as the No. 1 emerging housing market, based on its affordability and draw for newly flexible workers.

By Eben Shapiro